A train carrying 50 40-foot containers departs for Paris from Zhongding Logistics Park in North China's Shanxi province on June 2. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

A train carrying 50 40-foot containers departed for Paris from Zhongding Logistics Park in North China's Shanxi province on June 2, marking the launch of China Railway Express service from Shanxi to France.

The train is the first multinational cooperation between Shanxi Jinou Logistics Co and France's Bracco Group and Forwardis Group.

It is mainly carrying more than 700 metric tons of disposable medical equipment, fitness equipment, tires and automobiles. 

The train will travel approximately 11,000 kilometers over 20 days via Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany, before arriving at its destination in the southeastern suburb of Paris. 

The newly launched route has increased Shanxi's China-Europe freight train routes to nine. So far, the province has opened freight train services to 26 cities in 11 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. 

It's an important measure for Shanxi Jinou Logistics Co to further expand the influence of Shanxi's China-Europe freight train services. 

The only operator of the China-Europe freight train service in Shanxi, Shanxi Jinou Logistics has launched eight international routes since its establishment in 2017. It has transported daily necessities, machinery, ceramics, wood and cotton yarn to overseas customer bases, helping the "Made in Shanxi" brand go abroad. 

Since the beginning of this year, Shanxi has formulated customized services for different routes, further standardizing business and decision-making procedures and strengthening trade risk prevention and control.

As of May 31, 74 China-Europe freight trains loaded with 79,900 tons of goods worth 1.06 billion yuan ($165.68 million) had been launched by Shanxi, realizing a 48 percent year-on-year increase in shipping volume.

Shanxi Jinou Logistics will next build Shanxi into an assembly hub for China-Europe freight train services and strive to complete the goal of launching 300 trains in 2021, improving Shanxi's ability to serve foreign trade and import and export enterprises, and making greater contributions to the high-quality transformation and development of Shanxi's economy.